White House adviser Hassett says rate hikes should be on the table

This signals a notable shift in the administration's public posture toward monetary policy, even while paying lip service to Fed independence. The explicit linkage between rate-hike talk and oil prices suggests the White House is framing inflation as a supply-side problem it can act on, placing pressure on the Fed to respond. The Strait of Hormuz comment adds a geopolitical layer, implying energy prices—and thus Fed decisions—could hinge on U.S. enforcement actions there. What matters next is whether this rhetoric translates into actual policy coordination or remains a signaling tool, and whether markets begin pricing in a less dovish Fed path as a result.